A Dewan's proposal and an eight-member Council: where Kerala's legislature begins

Background

The Kerala Legislature dates its own evolution from three phases - 1888-1947, 1947-1956 and since 1956 - and the starting point of the formation of a legislative body in Travancore is traced to January 1888, when the Dewan T. Rama Rao proposed to the Maharaja the organisation of a Legislative Council so that "the Dewan would gain the benefit of discussing with and taking the opinion of responsible officers associated with him in matters of legislation, one of the most important functions of Government". Sri Mulam Thirunal Maharaja readily approved the proposal, and a regulation passed on 30th March, 1888 created a Legislative Council of three year tenure composed of 8 members, of whom 6 were to be officials and 2 non-officials nominated by the Maharaja. The Dewan was to preside over the meetings. The inaugural meeting was held in the Dewan's room; the First Council had 32 sittings, and although the bills passed were recommendatory in nature, they came to 9. The Select Committee constituted to study and report on the bills introduced marked the origin of the Committee System. Later, to widen the association of the people with administration, the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly was formed on the 1st of October 1904 as a body of the representatives of the landholders and merchants; its members were to be selected by the Division Peishcars, the District Heads, with two representatives for each taluk. A regulation of 1905 granted the people the privilege of electing members, and of the 100 members 77 were to be elected and 23 nominated for a tenure of 1 year, with General as well as Special Constituencies. The Legislature records that the Princely States of Travancore and Cochin were unified as the Part B State of Travancore-Cochin on July 1, 1949.